After
by awesomefrankiefan
Summary: Sweeney has completed his revenge. What now? One-shot. Sweenett


**A/N: My first Sweenett, I hope you like it. I have to thank lily-von-lovett for her support and for correcting my mistakes. Thank you buttercup! :)**

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-Well, Mr. T, I think we should celebrate the judge's death, eh, love?

Mrs. Lovett reached for the bottle of gin on the shelf, grinning to herself. She had managed to put Lucy's body in the oven before Sweeney walked down to the bake house. Mr. T didn't answer. She guessed he was in shock after all of that. He was feeling dizzy. What now? He had completed his revenge. He hadn't thought about what he was going to do after.

He was sitting on the table closer to the window, staring blankly. She approached him smiling and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He didn't bother to even look at her. She didn't care.

She sat beside him and poured two glasses of gin. Sweeney drank his in one gulp, gesturing her to pour some more. Mrs. Lovett had not begun to drink hers yet, but accomplished him with more alcohol.

-Are you happy, love?

-It's over.

-Yeah, I know. I asked if you are happy now.

-I don't know. I never thought about the moment after.

His fingers were trembling around the glass, and Mrs. Lovett put her hand around his, carefully, not knowing the reaction her barber would have. He glanced at her with emptiness. But his expression wasn't angry, only empty. He seemed to have nothing else to live for.

-You know, love, we could have a life together…

-Don't, Nellie. I can't hear you talk about the sea. Not now. Please. – He answered, looking down. His pain was palpable in the silence of the shop. She caressed his hand with her thumb, lost in his face. She had dreamed about this day for so long… she always thought this day would mean a new beginning. That he would forget about Lucy, the judge and all that past life.

-It's all right, love. I only want to make you feel better. – A sad smile planted on her face, she let go of Sweeney's hand and drank all her gin, pouring some more in both glasses.

Mrs. Lovett remained silent, not proper of her. All her hopes were torn apart. The day she was waiting for, the thought that gave her the strength to get out of bed every morning, chop bodies into pieces, bake them… It had been a waste of time, a silly wish.

Sweeney was waiting to hear her foolish chatter, but it never came. So he started to talk by himself.

-I don't know what to do anymore, Eleanor. I was so blinded by revenge that I never thought about life _after_ revenge. – The baker was astonished by hearing himself starting a conversation without her pressing him to. She looked at him, meeting his deep black eyes which made her blush. But his gaze was different now. His eyes were much more naked, letting her dive in them and get lost in that darkness.

-Love, I…

-Let me finish, Mrs. Lovett – he interrupted her- I have behaved like a mad man. And that madness isn't going away anytime soon, I know. – Alcohol was hitting in his body. He could feel his head slightly dizzy, and his tongue didn't respond to his brain anymore. He poured some more gin in his glass and offered the bottle to Mrs. Lovett, who didn't bother to refill hers, and drank directly from the bottle.

-…but the truth is I wouldn't have done all of this without your help, Nellie Lovett – Sweeney reached her hand and caressed it over the table. – And I never thanked you for that. I mean, for all; you gave me a roof, meals, company, and you even chopped the corpses in pieces, for heaven's sake! – he was smiling a little, at least what a smile seemed to be for the barber; and Nellie felt her heart beating faster, and rewarded his sweet words with a wide smile. She was used to people being rude. She was more than used to Sweeney being rude and even offensive to her with his words. So this compliment was like a gem for her. And she would hang on to it on her lonely nights.

-Oh, love, you don't have to thank me. We've known each other for a long, long time, remember? – She talked casually and fast, trying to hide her nervous feelings and the strangeness of this whole situation. But she didn't succeed. He always read her mind, maybe because of her expressive nature, maybe because a man who talked so little should have perfected the skill.

He lifted a trembling hand to her cheek, lightly touching it with his index finger. Her skin was soft and perfect, and she shivered at his touch, closing her eyes, lingering in the moment. She could have been dreaming, because the possibility of Sweeney willingly touching her in an intimate way was remotely far.

-Nellie…. Don't lie to me – his statement made her open her eyes suddenly. His face was approaching hers, making her feel his breath against her lips – You have been waiting for a soft word since I entered through that door and you didn't recognize me. – His finger was still on her cheek, tracing an invisible pattern on it, while her big brown eyes were gleaming with kindness and love. He knew she had a fondness for him, only he didn't know how much.

-Mr. T… - she shivered while she whispered those words, her throat becoming more and more dry with each advance from the barber. And he cupped her face with both of his hands and closed the distance between them, brushing his lips against hers in a soft manner. She froze at the contact. Her back stiffened from the unusual situation, and her heart lifted up to her throat when the electricity of his mouth met hers.

He lifted his gaze to meet her eyes, silently asking what was wrong, but she relaxed and managed a nervous smile. The barber's lips met Nellie's again, kissing delicately the red plump flesh of her mouth. Her hands rested now on the barber's shoulders, cautiously exploring the warmth of his body.

He tangled his fingers through the baker's red curls, caressing her scalp and parting her lips with his tongue, asking shyly for entrance. She happily obeyed, overwhelmed with the attention she was receiving from the barber. Their tongues met slowly, savoring their tastes and movements. Eleanor tightened her grip on the man, wanting to feel his unusual tenderness, fearing she was going to wake up and find out everything had been a cruel dream.

Their lips left each other for a moment, to catch their breath again.

-Mr. T… I love you – her voice was barely a whisper, her eyes pleading for reciprocity. Sweeney caressed her lips, taking out a red curl that was lost on her face.

-I know, my pet. – he planted a single kiss on her lips, moving his mouth all over her left cheek and reaching her neck and kissing it up and down, very slow and very softly. She moved her fingers through his black hair, closing her eyes. A tiny moan escaped from her mouth. – I can't say the same. You know that. – His words against her throat made her tilt her head, exposing her neck for him. Her hands were tangled in his hair, while his mouth slowly devoured the pale skin of her neck, brushing against her ear. Her breath was fast, overwhelmed with the whole situation that was going on in her pie shop.

The barber moved back slightly, focusing on her eyes. Her big brown eyes were gleaming with love, desire, and pain. She knew he didn't love her, and it was killing her. But Nellie Lovett always was a practical woman, who took what she could from every moment.

His lips crashed against hers again, more forcefully, and an involuntary groan left his mouth. Their mouths moved against each other in a perfect way, savoring every moment.

Sweeney stood up and took her hand.

-Come with me, my pet. – She nodded and followed him, surprised when she saw where he was leading her to. He opened the bedroom door carefully; it was the first time he saw her bedroom; the big chilly bed, too big for only one person; a chair with many of her clumsily folded dresses sprawled across it.

Sweeney hugged her tightly and worked on her neck with his mouth again. The baker's legs were weaker every moment, and her usual chatter was reduced to whispers of "Mr. T…" again and again.

He guided her to the bed, making her lie down and lying beside her, embracing her tiny shape and kissing her lips tenderly.

His hands began to caress her exposed skin, from the neck to the top of her breasts, making her whisper his name again against his mouth. Her shaking hands worked on the buttons of his shirt, managing to expose his ivory chest, sculpted by the years in Australia.

He responded to her touching in the same way, whispering in her ear "Nellie… Nellie… so much time… too much time…" She felt hurt thinking he was referring to the long time since a woman had touched him properly, but she didn't care. She was treasuring this moment with her entire soul. His lips were against her neck once again, going down to the beginning of her cleavage. He looked at her eyes, silently asking for permission to expose her a little more. She nodded in approval. It wasn't typical Sweeney to ask for anything, and definitely not to ask her; but she would do anything he requested at any moment.

When his hands lifted her back making her sit up, she removed his shirt, passing her hands up and down his chest, barely touching him. Like he was burning. He unlaced her dress skillfully, removing it over her head, leaving her in her corset and underwear.

Their kisses grew more passionate, and when she realized, they were naked against each other, their soft skin gleaming with a thin layer of sweat, the heat burning inside their souls. Then Sweeney made love to her in a soft and still passionate way.

Nellie Lovett had had sex since Albert passed, but not like this; all she had was a quick fuck with one or another customer in her kitchen, always standing up and without feelings. It was a release, and she didn't even remove her clothes, neither did her occasional partner. It was a way to feel herself alive, but it wasn't entirely satisfactory.

But the way the barber moved between her legs, caressing her skin, giving her his passionate and heated kisses, made her feel as though she were the luckiest person alive. His mouth moved from her lips to her neck, whispering all the time: - Nellie… God, Nellie… Nellie…

And she let her soft moans leave her throat, closing her eyes but opening instantly to record these moments in her head forever.

Both of them climaxed together, claiming each other's name with possessiveness. Mr. T remained on top of her, kissing the space between her breasts and whispering her name one more time. A single tear fell down her face, and when he lifted his head up, he kissed the trail from the tear, caressing her forehead and planting tiny kisses on her cheek.

-What's wrong, Nellie? – His hands were tangled in her hair, and he rolled himself off of her and lay at her side, one of his hands leaving her hair to push her against his chest.

-I… I love you, Sweeney – he tightened his embrace around her, kissing her forehead and cupping her face, making her eyes meet his.

-I know, my pet; and we can have a life together, maybe not like you dreamed, maybe not like I remember… but we'll get by.

He kissed her passionately, caressing her soft back up and down, feeling her breasts against his chest. He put the covers over them, and stroked her red curls softly. She rested her head on his chest, caressing his stomach with her shaking hand.

-My little baker… - he closed his eyes, feeling the warm body of the woman who had taken care of him for a long time. She smiled and fell asleep against him , knowing she was now his, and nothing could change that.


End file.
